Back bend stretcher



April 13, 1965 A. MORGAN BACK BEND STRETCHER Filed Aug. 6, 1962 FIG IUnited States Patent 3,178,183 BACK BEND STRETiCl'iER Anne L. Morgan,643 Spring Lane, Sanford, N.C. Filed Aug. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 215,201 4Claims. {(Il. 272-57) This invention relates to the maintenance of thebody in healthy condition suitable for the performance of variousphysical activities requiring that the muscles be loose and the bodyflexible and capable of movement involving including grace, poise andcase which portrays the aesthetic and evokes appreciation thereof froman audience.

The invention relates specifically to equipment used by dancers andother performers for stretching and exercising the muscles of the backfor keeping them loose, flexible, and suitable for the performance ofvarious physical activities requiring not only a sound body but completecontrol of the muscles including those of the back.

Equipment has been produced and used in bending and stretching themuscles of the back to obtain the required degree of flexibility butthis equipment has proven inadequate and has required a teacher orattendant to assist in the bending and flexing operations and hasinvolved many hours of hard labor as well as at times resulted in injuryto the person taking the exercises.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus or equipment bywhich an individual may properly exercise to bend and stretch themuscles in the upper middle and lower portions of the back and thusobtain a looseness of the muscles and suppleness not otherwise obtained,and all without the attendance or assistance of another person.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable device orapparatus of simple, practical, and inexpensive construction, capable ofbeing used to give varying degrees of bending exercise to the back, aswell as apparatus which can be adjusted to suit persons of differentheights and sizes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention inuse;

FIG. 2, a front elevation thereof; and

FIG. 3, a top plan view.

Briefly stated, the invention is a generally rectangular platformmounted on wheels or rollers for portability, and having at each sidenear one end an upright post between which the upper portions of whichis adjustably mounted a body supporting strap and in cooperativerelation near the front end of the platform are foot receiving membersby which the feet may be anchored forwardly of the post to the base,whereby the body may be bent backwardly while the feet are anchored tothe base, two groups of three spaced hand grips being attached to thebase on the opposite side of the posts from the foot receiving membersto permit the person to apply sufficient pressure to produce slight ornecessary bending of the back, a number of bars being provided one aheadof the foot receiving members and slightly higher so that such bar canbe gripped and a second bar in a low position between the upright postsso that each of the bars may be gripped to produce back bending andmuscle stretching.

With continued reference to the drawing a platform of generallyrectangular construction is provided on which an individual seeking tobend the back and increase its flexibility may take the desiredexercises.

The platform 10 is supported by front and rear cross bars 11 and 12 withsupporting wheels, rollers or casters 3,l?8,l Patented Apr. 13, 19.65

See

13 beneath the end portions of each. The platform is being secured tosuch cross bars in any desired manner.

At the sides of the platform are mounted spaced posts 15 and 16 fastenedin place in any desired manner as for example by bolts and nuts 17securing the posts to the cross bars 12. The upper ends of the posts areprovided with spaced openings 18 with the openings in one post at thesame level as the openings in the other and in which openings aremounted attaching members 19 having threaded shanks 2t and attachingnuts 21 and with right angular heads 22 received in reversely bent loopforming extremities 23 secured by rivets 24 of a strap 25, preferably ofa substantial width corresponding to several vertebrae of the back ofthe individual using the device in order to provide an adequate supportfor the back.

The posts 15 and 16 are provided with a horizontal bar 26 between theirlower portions a few inches from the platform 19 which bar serves as abrace between the posts as well as an element which can be gripped bythe hands of the person using the device.

At the front end of the platform a pair of short posts 27 and 28 areprovided, one at each corner of the platform on the bar 11, beingattached to the platform in any desired manner. A horizontal bar 26 ismounted between the lower portions of the posts 15 and 16, and ahorizontal bar 26' is mounted between the upper ends of the shorterposts 27 and 28 at the front of the device, such bars also beingconveniently located in a position to be gripped by the person using thedevice.

A pair of leather or other flexible material, toe or forefoot sockets 30are provided under which the toes of the person using the device can beinserted such flexible anchor members being secured in place byfasteners 31. In order to retain the feet anchored in such sockets apair of flexible straps 32 are attached to eye bolts 33 near each of theposts 15 and 15 and such straps are adapted to be looped around theankles and provided with snap or other fasteners 34 for attachment toeye bolts 35 in line with the toe receiving socket members 3%.

The person desiring to take back-bending exercises may place his feet inthe sockets 36 as described and lean rearwardly over and upon the strap25. In this position pressure to produce a positive bending may beapplied by gripping handles 36 attached in spaced relation along eachside of the platform 10.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a device is provided forbending or exercising the back and for flexing the muscles and a deviceby which the desired exercises may be taken without requiring the timeof a teacher or attendant with reduced possibility of injury.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof and therefore the in vention is not limited by that which isillustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but onlyas indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for forcibly bending and exercising the back and muscles ofthe body comprising a portable roller supported platform, spaceduprights on said platform, a relatively wide yieldable strap locatedacross the space between and adjustably connected to said uprights at aheight and in a convenient position to provide a comfortable support forthe intermediate area of the back, flexible retainers on said platformat one side of said strap by which the feet may be anchored in fixedlocation on said platform, a gripping bar mounted in fixed relationadjacent the lower portion of said uprights above said platform andserving the dual function of maintaining said posts in spaced relationand as a gripping bar, a

second gripping bar mounted on said platform forwardly and at a slightlyhigher elevation than the first, and a series of hand grips along eachside edge of the platform at varied distances from said supporting strapby which gripping action may be varied.

2.Apparatus for exercising the back and muscles of the body comprising aplatform, spaced uprights on said platform, a relatively wide flexiblestrap located across the space between and connected to said spaceduprights at an elevation above said platform in a convenient position toprovide a support for the back of a person exercising the body, quickdetachable anchoring means near the lower portions of said posts bywhich the feet of a person exercising may be retained with the upperpart of the body of the person disposed downwardly over said platform, agripping bar mounted in fixed relation adjacent the lower portion ofsaid posts above said platform and adapted to be gripped to applypressure to the muscles of the back, a second gripping bar forwardly ofthe first and a series of hand grips at varying distances along theplatform near each side adapted likewise to be gripped in the exercisingprocedure.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said anchoring means for the feetincludes means providing flexible rel tainers for the toes and strapmeans for encircling the ankles.

4. Apparatus for forcibly flexing and exercising the back and othermuscles of the body comprising a platform structure having two pairs ofspaced uprights on said platform, one pair supporting a horizontalgripping bar near said platform and a relatively wide yieldable flexiblebody supporting strap adjustably mounted near the top thereof, the otherpair of said uprights supporting a gripping bar at their upper ends,each of said bars being positioned to be gripped by a person supportedin exercising position by said strap, said bars being disposed atsubstantially different levels and in generally parallel relation, meansfor securing the feet to said platform including feet receiving strapsand additional straps fastenable around the ankles, said straps beingattached to said platform, and spaced means located more remotely fromsaid foot securing means for further gripping by the hands when the bodyof the user is in an arched position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,705,745 3/29Anderson RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

2. APPARATUS FOR EXERCISING THE BACK AND MUSCLES OF THE BODY COMPRISINGA PLATFORM, SPACED UPRIGHTS ON SAID PLATFORM, A RELATIVELY WIDE FLEXIBLESTRAP LOCATED ACROSS THE SPACE BETWEEN AND CONNECTED TO SAID SPACEDUPRIGHTS AT AN ELEVATION ABOVE SAID PLATFORM IN A CONVENIENT POSITION TOPROVIDE A SUPPORT FOR THE BACK OF A PERSON EXERCISING THE BODY, QUICKDETACHABLE ANCHORING MEANS NEAR THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID POSTS BYWHICH THE FEET OF A PERSON EXERCISING MAY BE RETAINED WITH THE UPPERPART OF THE BODY OF THE PERSON DISPOSED DOWNWARDLY OVER SAID PLATFORM, AGRIPPING BAR MOUNTED IN FIXED RELATION ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION OFSAID POSTS ABOVE SAID PLATFORM AND ADAPTED TO BE GRIPPED TO APPLYPRESSURE TO THE